COLUMN: Born the first Jayhawk to dance the Triple Double

Kevin Haskin

Tuesday

Mar 24, 2009 at 10:00 PM

Making history is fun.At least that's how Cole Aldrich described it after recording a triple-double for Kansas.Failing to read history is dumb.At least that's how I'll remember it.The Final Four record book sat just a couple of inches from my keyboard this past Sunday and I didn't bother turning to the list of triple-doubles recorded in the NCAA Tournament. Instead, I was content to read what was printed on the postgame notes, and simply accept that Aldrich notched the 14th triple-double in tournament history.Watching from his home in Peoria, Ill., B.H. Born knew a few more details.The former All-American for KU was the first player to achieve the feat in the tournament. And, he remains the only player to do so in the championship game.Well, Born didn't specifically tell me that.It's there in black and white in the NCAA annals — 26 points, 15 rebounds and 13 blocks against Indiana in 1953. KU lost the title game, 69-68, but Born still was named the most outstanding performer of the tourney.To him, however, the numbers reflected in the triple-double aren't as significant as another total along his stat line — five fouls."We had them beat, Indiana, going into the last minute," Born recalled, "and I made a stupid foul and fouled out."A 6-foot-10 junior from Medicine Lodge, Born averaged 18.9 points that season after playing behind Clyde Lovellette the year before when the Jayhawks captured the national championship.Given his opportunity to key another title run, Born made the most of it before fouling out. He'll never forget watching those final seconds unfold from the KU bench in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium."We put in Jerry Alberts and Jerry missed the last shot we took," Born said. "We were trying to get the ball to Al Kelley, but we didn't get it around to him. Jerry's shot hit both sides of the rim — the right-hand side, then the left-hand side — and skipped right over."Born starred in the game despite an infection in his eyes stemming from a case of the flu. The illness drew the undivided attention of KU coach Phog Allen at halftime."B.H. wasn't feeling too good and had a sore throat," Kelley recalled. "So during halftime, Phog was putting on a demonstration on how to gargle. I guess you could say we didn't get much strategy."The triple-double Born managed is listed as unofficial in the NCAA tournament records because assists, steals and blocks were not charted, though official box scores from that era reflected those statistics.KU does not list the triple-double by Born in its press guide, but does address two such feats Wilt Chamberlain accomplished — unofficially — during the 1956-57 season, against Marquette and Colorado.Oddly, Born was instrumental in Chamberlain coming to KU."We both played in the Catskills one summer for different teams the hotels put together to entertain (tourists)," Born said. "He was a senior in high school and I was a senior in college. I suppose there was a half-dozen times I talked to Chamberlain one-on-one, and no one at that time had ever contacted him from Kansas."Born spoke with Chamberlain about KU, then relayed the information to the coaching staff."I had 44 points in a game, which was the record at KU then," Born said of a performance against Colorado in 1953. "When Wilt got to be a sophomore, he shot the hell out of my record when he got 52 in his first (varsity) game against Northwestern."Although he was picked in the third round of the 1954 NBA Draft by the Fort Wayne Pistons, Born chose to work instead for Caterpillar Tractor Co., in Peoria.That's where he continues to follow the Jayhawks and beamed with pride when Aldrich finally made a triple-double official at KU."I like how he plays. He's going to be one of the best to come out of KU," Born said. "Maybe he should have played a little more last year, but that was a pretty good bunch he was with."Kevin Haskin can be reached at (785) 295-1159 or kevin.haskin@cjonline.com.

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